Renji Hospital removes brain thrombi from centenarian
The 101-year-old man is able to talk to the doctors after the surgery.
Renji Hospital announced the successful removal of two thrombi from the brain of a 101-year-old man who was suffering from an acute stroke.
The patient was rushed to the hospital due to a coma and left limb paralysis on March 10. To save the brain tissue and ensure the best recovery, the hospital activated its emergency rescue channel. Within an hour, the man had a surgery to remove the thrombus from the brain artery.
"The patient's advanced age posed a significant risk. There are few reports on successful surgeries on patients over 100 years old, both at home and abroad. The organ function of such elderly patients is usually very poor, jeopardizing anesthesia, thrombus removal and other medical procedures," said Dr Wan Jieqing, director of Renji's cerebrovascular disease center.
Every second of treatment delay results in the death of more neuronal cells. Following a thorough evaluation and communication with the family, medical staff performed the surgery with the participation of experienced medics from all relevant departments.
Doctors removed two thrombi from the patient, who immediately regained blood flow.
The patient was moved to the intensive care unit for additional monitoring and treatment.
Another barrier is the recovery of consciousness and post-surgery complications.
The man awoke the next morning with good language skills and the ability to move his paralyzed left limb.
Stroke is the leading cause of death worldwide. Patients undergoing intravascular treatment, including thrombus removal, are 68 years old on average. People over 80 only account for 15 percent due to the risks involved, experts said.
"Very old age is a big challenge for doctors," Wan said. "As a result, patients with more serious conditions have more complicated processes, longer surgery times, and a lower chance of recovery due to underlying diseases," Wan said.
"However, simply being old is not an issue. Pre-surgery evaluation and precise treatment can help ensure a smooth operation and positive outcomes."
Thrombus removed from a patient's brain artery
